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Very Good Eddie Musical Analysis

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The musical “Very Good Eddie” is a 1915 vaudevillian comedy written by Guy Bolton and Philip Bartholomae, with music by Jerome Kern, The musical itself was based upon Bartholomae’s own “Over Night”. The musical was written and produced for The Princess Theater’s second series of in house musicals.
Any and all original production recordings of “Very Good Eddie” have been lost to time. The show’s original run began in 1915 at the Princess Theater on Broadway. It moved several theaters until it’s primary closing date in 1916. There was a revival of the show in 1975, which featured an altered ending. This show ran 304 performances in its year on broadway, and another 411 shows the next year at the Piccadilly Theater. In 1991 an off broadway …show more content…

It is at this point that Elsie and Eddie are separated from Percy and Georgia. The two stick together in camaraderie, but remain respectfully allouf, with Elsie remaining faithful to Percy, and Eddie respecting Elsie’s virtue. Slowly these two confess their feelings for their partners and find a mutual understanding there, which ultimately bridges the gap in moral consciousness, and allows the two to come together.
“Nodding Roses” is the love song between Ellie and Eddie, a sort of confirmation of their love and how it grow throughout their journey. The song itself it is sweet and soft, playing on the subtleties of the situation. While old fashioned in wording, it holds a very modern theme of love being for anyone, transcending boundaries and surpassing obstacles to come to fruition. This was also the most popular song to come from “Very Good Eddie” it’s innocently romantic lyrics and catchy melody propelling it into the public …show more content…

I did not appreciate the rampant sexist overtones of the bossy or overbearing woman needing to be conquered. While Percy, her direct male counterpart, was praised for his behaviours. Nor did I appreciate the original biblical message that women should submit themselves to their husbands, and that men need to stand up and be hyper masculine rulers of their households. With that being said, it is an understandable artifact of the era in which the musical was made. The update 1975 ending was preferable in my opinion, even if it was cheesy. As far as the music itself, it held a sort of timeless whimsy, and it’s consistent upbeat tempo help keep the whole of the musical fresh and enjoyable. The whole of it reminded me of the song “Winchester Cathedral” which I am assuming is because that song was stylized to reflect music of the early Twentieth Century. It was a modern enough song that I felt as if it truly carried the story into the next

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